Early in the burgeoning 20th
century, Bethlehem Steel Corporation CEO Charles Schwab had the occasion to
converse with a management consultant who inferred that Schwab’s people needed
to gain more knowledge about managing.
In response to the consultant’s
remarks, Charles Schwab responded with the now famous statement “What we need around here is not more
knowing, but more doing! If you will help us to do the things we already know
we ought to do, I’ll gladly pay you anything you ask!”
Without the slightest hesitation, the
management consultant immediately agreed to accept Charles Schwab’s challenge
and then proceeded to assert that “In 20
minutes, I’ll show you how to get your organization to do at least 50% more.”
The advice which the consultant
then provided to Charles Schwab was to do the following:
● Write down and prioritize your 5
most important tasks to complete in the next business day.
● Put the list in your pocket until
tomorrow when you will take it out and start working on priority number one.
● Look at that priority every 15
minutes until it’s done.
● Then move on to the next priority
and then the next one after that.
● Don’t be concerned if you only
finish two or three or even one because you will be working on the most important things.
It is important to comprehend that
as CEO of Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Charles Schwab was handsomely compensated
by Andrew Carnegie for his expertise and leadership abilities at the rate of
one million dollars a year.
Subsequent to receiving the
consultant’s advice, Charles Schwab stated that “this was the most profitable lesson he had ever learned.”
What exactly was this highly valuable
lesson you ask? It was simply this:
The organization whether small or large that understands and
executes on the power of focusing on priorities will progress and succeed.
CEO Schwab rewarded the management consultant
with $25,000 for this sterling advice, which in the early 1900’s was a huge sum
of money. Even more so, when you consider that it was for just a few short
minutes of advice.
As timely as the advice given to
CEO Schwab was over a century ago, it remains so to this very day.
The ability to appropriately
identify and execute top priorities remains a core competency of 21st
century leaders. To this end, one of the key components which we teach in our
premier leadership programs and workshops is that “Leadership is WAR”. Employing
the W.A.R. analogy in the everyday business activities of your company or
municipality is certain to help your organization and your people to accomplish
more.
Work on the right priorities.
Achieve the right goals.
Remove the barriers that are impeding
your progress.
While there are an immense number of focus
points that your organization could choose to focus on in both present and
future tense, the critical mass of potential success in business, industry and
government rests with your organization’s ability to effectively wage
W.A.R.
As your valued resource partner, we
stand ready to assist your organization, its leadership and your people to both
wage W.A.R., while assisting them to… Learn more… Do more… Become more.
Copyright © 2016 Developing Forward | Thomas H. Swank, CBC | All Rights Reserved.
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